Dredging and excavating machine.



PATENTED JUNE 26, 1906.

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B.'H. GOFFBY. DRBDGING AND EXGAVATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 0(7'I.7 1905f new a. mumu cu. mom-mnosmpuins. WASNYNGYON. v. c.

PATENTBD JUNE 26, 1906.

B. H. GOFFEY. 'DREDGING AND EXGAVATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 0OT."7, 1905.

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I DREDGING AND EXCAVATING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. assented June 26, 1906.

Application filed October '7, 1905. Serial No. 281,717.

1'0 all Iii/b07771 it may concern:

Be it known that I, BARTON H. COFFEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Sufiolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Dredging and Excavating Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The objects of this invention are First, to simplify machinery of this class by eliminating the A-frame, boom, hoisting and backing chains, and all the attendant drums, gears, sheaves, brakes, frictions, &c.

Second, to increase the digging efficiency by applying the maximum power at the point of maximum resistance-that is, when the dipper is coming through the bank. In present dredging-machines not over a third or this power is available, owing to the acute angle between the hoisting-tackle and the dipper-handle; also to decrease the heeling of the dredge when swinging over the scow, caused by the heavy overhanging boom, by doing away with the boom altogether and counterbalancing the remaining moving parts.

Third, to increase the economy of operating by decreasing lost time, repairs, and wear and tear through substituting more reliable machinery for that eliminated.

The invention consists, broadly, in transmitting the power to the dipper to force it through the bank by means of the dipperhandle instead of by hoisting-tackle, as is customary. Other features, adding to the efliciency of operation, will be fully explained, and set out in the claims.

Reference now being had to the accompanying drawings, Figure I is a plan view showing the invention attached to the forward part of a dredge. Fig. II is an elevation of the same, showing the hull partly in section on the line 1 1 of Fig. I. Fig. III is a plan of the invention in detail and to a larger scale.

.Fig. IV is an elevation, partly in section, of

the hydraulic distributing-rings, showing one of them in section on the line 3 3 of Fig. V

and also a part of the shaft E broken away at the lines 5 5 and 6 6 of Fig. VI. Fig. V is an end view of same in section on line 4 4 of Fig. IV. Fig. VI is an elevation of Fig. III, showing the housing in section on the line 2 2 of Fig. III. I

The same letters of reference designate the same parts in each figure.

In Figs. I and II, G represents the forward end of a dredge-hull floating at the waterline W W, with spuds F to resist the thrust of the dipper D. The means for operating these spuds are not shown, as they form no part of my invention and are quite clear to those skilled in the art. Upon the deck of the hull G is mounted the rotatable housing E, supported on the center bearing G and the circular track G. Extending from the bottom of the housing E and integral therewith is the vertical shaft E, passing through the bearings G and G integral with the hull G. Upon the shaft E and rigidly attached thereto is mounted the swinging wheel K. Attached to the wheel K are the swingingchains K which pass around same, then around the sister sheaves K, and thence aft to the drums of the swinging-engine or other means of actuating the swinging movement. (Not shown.) As the swinging motion forms no part of my invention and is similar to that now in use and understood by those skilled in the' art, no further description is deemed necessary.

Referring to Figs. III and VI, upon the housing E (shown in section in Fig. VI) is mounted the hydraulic cylinder A, carried by l the hollow trunnions A This housing also carries the guide B, rotatable upon the pin E which in turn is rigidly held by the bearings E The piston and piston-rod A actuated by the cylinder A, is pinned to the guide B through the lugs B" and pin B It is obvious that any motion of the piston-rod A will cause the guide B to rotate about the fixed pin E Freely sliding through the guide B is the dipper-handle D, to which is attached the dipper D. Movement in either direction through the guide B is given to the dipper-handle D by means of the hydraulic cylinder 0, secured rigidly to the guide B, and whose piston and piston-rod C is pinned to the dipper-handle D through the medium of the bracket D integral with the dipper-handle, and the pin C In order to operate the double-acting cylinders A and C, it is necessary that some fluid under pressure, as water or oil, should enter at one end of the cylinder simultaneously with the other end being open to exhaust and that such entrance and egress of fluid be under the control of the person running the machine. This is accomplished as follows, (see Figs. III, IV, V, VI:) In the Walls of the cylinder A are cored the passages A*, leading from the ends of the cylinder and through the 'tr'un'nions A To these openings are attached the swingjoints A. ,:from which lead pipes A to the top of the vertical shaft E. Through the'verticalshaft E: are bored four holes A A C C with side outlets A A C 0 at different levels, but equidistant. To the top of the holes A are secured the pipes A. It is obvious that this arrangement gives a separate closed conduit from each end of the cylinder A'to the-surface of the shaft'E. In a similar manner, by means of the pipes e the swing-jointsCfl the holes C in the pin'E the pipes C the holes C in the shaft'E, and the openings 0 is the cylinder C connected with the surface ofthe shaft E. It should be noted that the swingjoints A and C permit rotation of the respectivecylinders A and C. Covering the o enings A and C and central therewith are t e distributing-rings L, packed *With the double cupeleathers L. Leading from the four rings-L are-the four pipes A A 'c" c". This arrangement alloWs-theshaft E to rotate within thestationary rings L,'at the same time maintaining a separatefluid-tight connectionfrom the stationary-pipes A and c to eachendof the cylinders A and C.

By connecting-the A andc 'pipes each respectively with a hydraulic four-way valve and the pressure and exhaust openings of the valves with a X pressure-pump and exhaust-tank it will be clear that the cylinders A and C may be operated from themost con venient point on the dredge by locatingthe valves or thelevers connectedwith them at that'point. By locating the swinging levers at this same point the three motions necessary to complete the dredging cycle may be- "eom manded'by oneoperator.

The four-way valves, pressure-pump, ex haust-tank, &0, are not shown, as they form no part of mylinventionand -are quite obviousto those skilled in the: art.

When the dipper D-swings to starboard or port, as --shown by v the dotted arc in iFig. I, the tendency is toheelthe hull G in the direction of swing caused by the excess of weight of the moving parts on 1 that side of the center of flotation of the hullG. This action causes heavy rolling-and damage to the scowalongside'and also increases the hoist of the-dipper necessary 'to clear the scoW when light. This 1 fault 4 is remedied by introducing the counterWeight'H.

' The complete dredging cycle'with this machine is as "follows, (see Fig. Hz) Starting with'the dipper D in theposition X, pressure is admitted in the cylinder A, forcing out'the'pistonrod A and causing the guide B, dipper-handle D, and dipper D to describe the arc- J J through the bank I until the position Y is assumed. At this point pressure is admitted in the cylinder C, drawing in the piston-rod C, and so pulling the dipper-handle D through the guide B till the position Y is reached. The position Y is fixed by the distance'from the center of' hull G tothe'center of the scowbeing loaded alongside, (not shown) so that when the dipper "has reached the position Z high enough to clear the scow andisswungover same it-will dump approximately on the cen ter line of the sc'ow. After the dipper is dumped it is swung back, pressure admitted to the cylinder A todrawinthepiston-rod A yan'd so lower the dipper to the position X. Pressure is then released from the cylinder C, permitting the dippertodrop to the position X, 1 the starting point, and so on.

*It will beobvious to I thoseskilled 2 in: this art thatmodifications may be made=in-construction from 'that shown and described Without departing in spirit 1 from the "funda- 4 mental idea involved -as, for i instance, the

employment of gearing instead of hydraulics to drive the dipper handle. Therefore L do not limit myself to I the construction shown.

Having describedmy' invention, 1 claim 1. In a dredge or excavating machine, a dipper-handle adapted: to drive a dipper,:rotat'able about ahorizontal and'vertical axis, longitudinally movable at right angles to the horizontal axis; and means to rotate :and move -same, for the purposesset forth.

"2. Ina dredge or excavating -machine a guide rotatable abouta horizontaland vertical axis, -=a "dipper -handle longitudinally movable upon said 'guide ;:-and means i to rotate the-guide and move the dipperi-handle, for the purpose set forth.

3. "In a dredge or excavating-machine, a housing :rotatable about a vertical axis, :a guide rotatable upon saidhou-sing about a horizontal "axis, -a dipper-handle longitudinally movable upon the guide and means to rotatethe housingand guide and-move the dipper-handle, for the purpose set forth.

ln testimony whereof I havesigned my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

BARTON VHACOFFEY. VVitn-esses JULIA S. BREWsTEmGoFFEY, E. W. 'METZER. 

